Table leg support



March 13, 1934- w. M. BoENNlNG 1,950,966

TABLE LEG SUPPORT Filed oct, 6, 1931 Patented Mar. 13, 1934 TABLE LEGSUPPORT William M. Boenning, Manitowoc, Wis., assigner to FergusonBrothers Manufacturing Company, Hoboken, N. J., a corporation of NewJersey Application October 6, 1931, Serial No. 567,201

3 Claims.

My invention is directed to improvements in that type of folding legsupport in which each folding leg may be automatically locked in itsunfolded position by the coaction of two folding braces hinged to swingat substantially right angles to each other and in which the manualfolding of the leg after its locking brace has been manually released,serves to also impart a folding movement to the locking brace; springmeans being employed tending to swing the locking brace to its unfoldedor locking position and the leg and its brace to their unfolded positionafter they have been manually started on their unfolding movement.

My invention is an improvement upon the table leg support shown,described and claimed in the copending application filed by me July11th, 193e, Serial No. 467,241, now Patent No. 1,901,697 of Mar. 14,1933.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in theaccompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 represents a detail bottom plan View at one corner ci the tablewith the leg (shown in section) and its coacting braces in theirunfolded and interlocked positions;

Fig. 2 represents a similar view with the leg and its coacting braces intheir folded positions;

Fig. 3 represents a section taken in the plane of the line lll-111 ofFig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, the movable parts beingshown in dotted lines in their partly folded positions;

Fig. 4 represents a section taken in the plane of the line V-IV of Fig.3, looking in the direction of the arrows, the movable parts being shownin dotted lines in their partly folded positions; and

Fig. 5 represents a bottom plan view of the bracket which forms thehinge support for the folding leg and its coacting braces.

The table top is denoted by 1 and its depending frame sides by 2 and S.A bracket 4, preferably of sheet metal, is shaped to fit snugly againstthe underside of the table top in the corner formed by the adjacentframe sides 2 and 3. This bracket is provided with depending flanges 5and 6 which are secured in any desired manner as by screws 7 and 8, tothe inner faces of their respective frame sides 2 and 3.

Two coacting braces, preferably of sheet metal, which form the table legsupport are hinged to the bracket 4 as follows:

The bracket is provided with two spaced depending ears 9 and l0 by meansof which the folding leg brace 12 is hinged to the bracket.

(Cl. l5-11) This folding leg brace is secured along the inner side ofthe folding leg 1l as by screws 13, the hinged end oi' which brace isformed into an eye lll through which a pivot pin 15 passes from the ear10 into the depending ange 6 of the bracket. This leg brace 12 isprovided with a branch 16 having its inner end ormed into an eye 17through which a pivot pin 1S projects from the bracket ear 9. The outeredge of this brace branch 16 is inclined for a portion of its length asshown at i9, to form a cam surface terminating in a lateral shoulder 20at its free end.

The or locking brace 21 is hinged to the bracket 4 to swing atsubstantially right angles to the leg brace by forming at the inner endof this locking brace an eye 22 through which a pivot pin 23 passes froman ear 24 depending trom the bracket 4, into the depending flange 5 ofbracket. A coil spring 25 surrounds the eye 22 of the locking brace 2lwith one end engaging the bracket 4 the other end engaging the brace,which spring tends to swing the brace to its unfolded or lockingposition when released by the unfolding movement of the leg brace.

This locking brace 21 is provided with a hook 21* at its free end whichis adapted to embrace the lateral shoulder 2Q on the branch 16 of thefolding leg brace for locking the folding leg brace in its unfoldedposition against unintentional release. The inner edge of this lockingbrace 21 is inclined as shown at 26, to form a cam surface which ccactswith the cam surface i9 of the folding leg brace during the folding andunfolding movements of the leg.

The axis of the locking brace is preferably made slightly ofi a rightangle to the axis of the iolding leg brace to ensure the efiectivecoaction of the cam surface of the two braces as they are folded andunfolded.

In operation: Presupposing the parts to be in their unfolded andinterlocked positions as shown in Figs. l and 3 and it be desired tofold the parts, the procedure would be as follows:

The locking brace 21 is manually swung in wardly a sufficient distanceto release its hook 21* from engagement with the lateral shoulder 2Q ofthe folding leg brace, this position being illustrated in dotted linesin Figs. 3 and 4. The leg and its brace may then be swung to theirfolded position, this folding movement of the leg causing the coactionof the cani surface 19 of the leg brace with the cam surface 26 of thelocking brace to fold the locking brace against the underside of thetable top. The coil spring 25 when the parts are in this position willnot exert sucient tension on the folded locking brace to cause theunfolding of the parts. To unfold the leg, the leg and its brace aremanually started on their unfolding movement. The tension of the spring25 and the coaction of the cam surface 26 of the locking brace with thecam surface 19 of the leg brace will unfold the leg and the two bracesto a point Where the locking brace will swing into position to `causeits hook 21"c to embrace the lateral shoulder 20 of the leg brace, tolock the parts in their unfolded positions.

From the above description it Will be seen that I have provided a verysimple, effective and rigid folding leg support and one which may bereadily manipulated.

It is evident that various changes may be resorted to in theconstruction, form and arrangement of the several parts withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do notintend to be limited to the particular embodiment herein shown anddescribed, but

What I claim is:

1. In a folding table, a table top, a corner bracket and leg and lockingbraces hinged to the bracket at substantially right angles to each otherand adapted to interlock when unfolded,

said braces having coacting cam surfaces to erisure the folding of thelocking brace by the leg brace after the locking brace has been startedon its folding movement.

2. In a folding table, a table top, bracket and leg and locking braceshinged to the bracket at substantially right angles to each other andadapted to interlock when unfolded, said braces having coacting camsurfaces to ensure the folding of the locking brace by the leg braceafter the locking brace has been started on its folding movement and theunfolding of the leg brace by the locking brace after the leg brace hasbeen started on its unfolding movement.

3. In a folding table, a table top, a corner bracket and leg andvlocking braces hinged to the bracket at substantially right angles toeach 0ther and adapted to interlock when unfolded, said braces havingcoacting cam surfaces to ensure the folding of the locking brace by theleg brace after the locking brace has been started on its foldingmovement and the unfolding of the leg brace by the locking brace afterthe leg brace has been started on its unfolding movement, and springmeans tending to swing the locking brace and thereby the leg brace totheir unfolded and interlocked positions.

WILLIAM M. BOENNING.

